


That Time of the Year

by CagedObserver



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Zombie Apocalypse, Lori Lucille Sherry and Shane are mentioned (lol these names fit so well together), M/M, Rick comforting Negan, a bit of blood is mentioned, a dash of fluff, is this how you tag stuff?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-07
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2019-06-06 21:48:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15204161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CagedObserver/pseuds/CagedObserver
Summary: Rick becomes Negans flatmate, but after some time they are something else.This ficlet is about Negan dealing with grief and Ricks thoughts on the situation.





	That Time of the Year

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you can enjoy this little ficlet I put together. Have a nice day! <3

It was that time of the year again. Rick only had to witness this once before and it was something he wasn’t looking forward to. The first time it was the day he moved into that little apartment he now shared with Negan. He actually thought about leaving again as soon as he had stepped foot in what he would now call his home. When he arrived furniture was thrown all over the floor, shattered plant pots and plates everywhere.

The only reason he decided to move in in the first place was because the rent was cheap and all he could afford at that time. The first time he came by, the man living with him didn’t exactly make a good first impression at all. A half clothed girl was walking around the flat like she owned the place. At first Rick thought maybe she was the previous owner of his room, but when he asked about it, he learned that that was not the case. Negan just told him ‘not to worry about Sheryl, she’s just visiting’ the girl stood dead in her tracks, slowly turning around, coming up to him and slapping him hard. ‘My names Sherry, fuckface’ she said. Now, Rick could only smile when thinking back at it, but back then he was seriously questioning his life choices. Nonetheless, he decided to move in and live with what seemed to be a very complicated man and that was putting it mildly.

__________

Back to the day he moved in. In between all of those broken porcelain fragments sat a sobbing man clutching blood-smeared arms around himself whilst sobbing. It was that very same man that got slapped for acting like an asshole the first time Rick came to see the living space. For a moment Rick thought about leaving again. He felt as if he was intruding, but decided to stay anyway. This flat was now his too and besides that, the man seemed like he could need some help. He was bleeding after all.

As Rick sat down next to the broken man who simply ignored him, he thought about leaving again. Instead of doing that he took a closer look at Negans arms and hands. There were small cuts all over, but none of them seemed too deep. He got up letting Negan alone for a few moments only to come back with a damp washcloth and some bandages from the bathroom. He sat back down beside the crouching figure, slowly taking one arm from where it was clutching so tightly against the fabric of his own clothes, telling him it was going to be okay. He gently ran the washcloth over his arm and hand, removing the dried blood. He repeated that with the second arm and then bandaged him up. Neither he nor Negan said anything.

When he was done, he held on to one of the arms as he stood up, urging the man on the floor to stand with him. Sometime while Rick took care of the cuts the sobbing had stopped. Negan got up, head still low between his shoulders and let Rick led him to his bedroom. Rick came to the conclusion that his new flatmate was either very tired from all the crying or very drunk or maybe both, which caused him to not be steady on is legs, stumbling around beside him.

When they came to Negans Room he guided him to his bed, pulling the sheets away and over Negan as the man lay down. Negans still tear streaked face was focusing on the ceiling above. And when Rick decided it was time to leave the other one alone to properly move in, he still didn’t say anything.

That day after he had brought everything inside and cleaned up the place he had a hard time falling asleep. Thoughts racing through his mind. Negan looked so unbelievably sad earlier that day. Rick couldn’t remember ever having seen someone being that sad. It made him think of the times he felt most sad. There was this time with Lori, his ex-girlfriend. When she left him for Shane, Ricks best friend. Ricks only friend at that time. They broke his heart and left him feeling lonely for a long time. Still, what was going on with Negan, seemed to be worse. Sleep found him at 4 am that night and work demanded him at 7.

__________

After what happened that day, Negan appeared to avoid him pretty much all the time. He could hear his footsteps reaching from the kitchen to the bathroom to his bedroom, but as soon as he stuck his head out of his room, Negan was gone. One night, roughly two weeks after he moved in, that changed though. They walked into each other in the living room and after a few awkward seconds Negan offered him an explanation along with a drink. They spent hours just talking. He told him all about his ex-girlfriend, about Lucille. They spent the whole night talking about what happened. That was how he learned that a week prior to his arrival she had passed away. Rick knew now why the man was shattered.

Negan told him he had been drinking the whole week until Rick came. He said he was lucky to have such an understanding boss. Said if he were the boss he would have fired that stupid asshole that didn’t show up for a week. After they had that long talk, things seemed to progress from there. They started to spend more time together, growing dependent on each others company. Later Rick would notice that he felt giddy whenever he was around Negan, but he wouldn’t do anything about it for months. When he finally did however, it changed everything.

__________

They lay on Negans bed, Rick holding Negan tightly to his chest and stroking his hair. “I’m here, honey,” Rick whispered into his hair “it’s okay.” The sobbing had stopped a while ago, Ricks shirt still damp from the tears. They haven’t moved for hours, the light from the day now gone from the room. 

“Hey, babe,” he started, still petting his hair “I’m kinda hungry and I bet you are too. Now, I know you don’t want to eat anything, but you’ll have to try honey, okay?”. There was still no response from the man lying on his chest, but Rick knew that’s how he deals with being sad. First, he gets really loud and angry and then all of a sudden he seems to be stuck in a hole, not being able to move or say anything. Rick knew all he could do was be there for him, sit by his side and fill the void with his own voice.

He gently lifted Negans head and slowly removed his body from underneath it, pulling a pillow down and putting his head gently on it. “I’ll be right back, love” He pressed his lips to Negans temple “I’ll try to make us some spaghetti, okay? Just the way you showed me to, but don’t be too harsh on me, you know I’m not that good a cook, babe.” He smiled one last kiss onto his head and then he was out the door.

A single tear passed his cheek. He couldn’t stand seeing Negan like this. It hurt so much, but he knew he had to be strong for him. And he knew Negan felt bad for still having such strong emotions about Lucille, despite Rick telling him that there was nothing wrong with that. Rick is here for him and he always will be.

_The sun will rise and we will try again._

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry, I just had to put that line from 'truce' by twenty one pilots in there. It kind of inspired me to write this and I think it fits haha hope you enjoyed this little story!


End file.
